


Of SEALs and Sea Turtles

by kateyes085



Series: Of SEALs and Sea Turtles [1]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Awkwardness, F/M, Insecurity, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-27
Updated: 2011-10-27
Packaged: 2017-10-25 00:22:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/269559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kateyes085/pseuds/kateyes085
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when Steve McGarrett breaks down the wrong door … without a grenade this time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of SEALs and Sea Turtles

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I am really thinking this will be continued. I'm dying to explore an awkward first time between these two and see where it goes from there. Normally, I just keep going on my stories until they are done, because I don't like to be kept waiting so I try to do the same for others, but I'm finishing up my BBB and that takes up most of my time. This came to me and WOULD NOT go away. I'm testing the waters so to speak as this is my first foray into the H50 fandom. So, let me know if you're interested seeing it continued. Also, be kind.
> 
> Now, Musie seems to lean towards het stories, but she keeps popping in the idea of a 3-some with Steve/Danny/OFC. Does that peak anybody's fancy???? Feed the Musie, she's an attention-whore as well as an equal opportunity swinger. What can I say, a giver. :)
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> <3

~*~

Molly has finished preparing her nightly bowl of ice cream to sit down and watch a rerun of Dr. Who before she turns in to bed. "5-0!" someone yells from the other side of her apartment door as she is licking her spoon and walking into her living room in her evening attire of baggy shorts and a T-Shirt with her chestnut colored hair is fastened in a braid. Someone mule kicks in her door causing her to yelp in response and drop her bowl on the carpet. She blinks as she stares at two gun barrels. On reflex, she squeaks and throws up her hands in surrender. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a black and white flash dash for the door, "Isaac!" she yells and ducks around the two men that have rushed into her living room as she runs after him, "Get back here you rotten animal!"

"Shit!" one of the men yells and she hears footsteps running after her.

He reaches her and grabs her around her waist hauling her up in the air mid run. When Molly's feet hit the ground, she slams her fist up and back into her attacker's nose, stomps on his instep, elbow's his stomach, and the momentum drives him forward over her hip. She is holding his wrist and dislodges his firearm. She stutters and juggles the gun muttering, "Oh my goodness, it really works," before she throws it to the ground and runs after Isaac. She catches him before he climbs up a tree. She soothes and calms him down as she pets him and stumbles back barefoot, wincing as stray rocks catch her feet, to where she left the fallen officer. "I am so sorry sir. I didn't think it'd work. Are you okay?"

The taller of the two men runs back gun drawn, "Danny?" assessing the damage of the scene.

"Noh Imma n'ohay! Yoo brohke mah fhreegin nosz. Jesthus lahdee! Wahat duhell!" he snaps as the taller man pulls him up. "Copths lahdee," he yells waving his gun and pointing to his vest. "Waha'd yoo ruhn fer?"

"Isaac ran out the door. I had to get him back in," she explains showing them her cat before she settles him back against him, pushing up her glasses before she walks haltingly back to her apartment when she catches stray rocks again.

"Lihke deh luv bot?" the shorter man asks wiping away the blood and looking for something to wipe it on as he follows her in. Molly puts Isaac down by his food bowl and gets a dishtowel.

"Or maybe Hayes," the taller man says closing the door behind him.

"Who?" Molly asks impatiently shoving the towel at the shorter blond man that is bleeding on her kitchen floor. Both men point to her cat. "I don't know who those people are," she snaps impatiently, "he's named after Newton."

"Duh cookie?" the blonde man asks cleaning off the blood from his face with the towel.

Molly sighs in exasperation and rolls her eyes, "The physicist. Well are you going to take me away now?" she asks nervously.

The men look at each other and shrug, "I'm Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett," the taller dark haired man addressed himself and pointed to the shorter blonde man, "and this is Detective Danny Williams. We are looking for this person?" He asks showing her a picture of their suspect with his name printed on the bottom.

"Oh Jiminy Crickets. He was the previous tenant in this apartment. Rather disreputable from what I'm gathering. You are not the first … inquiries that have been made on his behalf. I was able to track down his address, but I'm not sure how current it is. He seems to move around a lot," she informs them as she hands over a manilla folder.

Steve riffles through the folder. "You put all this together ma'am?"

"Yes," she states nervously fidgeting, "Are you going to take me away now? I know I resisted arrest, even though I'm not the party you're looking for, but I did incapacitate your partner," she babbles.

"Hey" Danny whines.

"… and I did strike an officer of the law, even though I thought it was in self defense. Honestly, I didn't think it would work," she mutters before she continues babbling, "I took some self defense classes since I've moved here. This is not the best of neighborhoods, as I'm sure you're aware. So, I guess I will go along quietly now and I can only hope the judge is lenient on me as this is my first offense," she finishes here babble by straightening her glasses again and holds out her wrists, pressed together. "May I change and put some shoes on? This is highly improper attire for a court appearance," she looks expectantly back and forth between them.

"Nah," Steve blinks, "I think we got this one covered."

~*~

Someone knocks on Molly's door the next day. She opens it dressed in capris and a baggy T-Shirt again with her dark hair secured up with a clip. Steve McGarrett stands on the other side looking slightly nervous. "Commander McGarrett? Uh, Hi? … Come, come in?"

He smiles slightly and walks in as she opens the door further. "I wanted to apologize for last night, ma'am … I, I don't even know your name?" he chuckles softly rubbing the back of his neck.

Molly pushes up her glasses again and offers her hand, "Molly, Molly O'shaugnessy," she smiles nervously, "Oh it was perfectly fine. I am still mortified about how I reacted to your partner. Is he doing better today?" she asks with concern wringing her hands.

"Danno?" he asks as he shakes her hand, "Oh he's fine, fine. That was an easy night for him. He usually ends up getting shot or something," he mutters looking around. He notices her work board and the mathematical computations on it along with her cluttered desk and computer and the diagrams on her walls. "Uh, what do you do Ms. O'shaugnessy?"

"I'm a marine biophysicist. Currently, I'm working on my doctoral thesis on the mating practices of the Chelonia myadas of the area in an effort to chart progression of the repopulation efforts in the area," she explains pointing to one of her diagram charts.

"Sea turtles?" he asks.

Molly nods in response. "You're familiar with marine biology Commander?"

"I am a Navy SEAL ma'am," he smiles. "And please, call me Steve."

Molly smiles shyly and blushes, "only if you call me Molly."

He nods his response and continues, "Well the reason for me stopping by other than to check and make sure you're okay from last night, but I wanted to see if in way of an apology, I could invite you to a small cookout I'm having at my house on Saturday?"

Molly pushes up her glasses once again and blushes harder, but smiles brighter, "That, that would be lovely Commander … um, er, Steven," she says. Steve tries not notices how cute the freckles over the bridge of her nose look against the dark pink of her blush.

~*~

"You made it," Steve says helping Molly out of her car.

"Yes, thank you the directions were most helpful. This is where you live? Goodness! Of course coming from the closet that is my apartment, this is a solitary oasis. Um, could you help me get the things out of the back of my car? I cooked … and baked, is that okay?" she asks nervously.

"Of course, but you didn't have to," he tells her, opening her trunk, finding containers after containers filled with food, "Uh …" he mutters.

"I got nervous," Molly explains. "When I get nervous, I cook and/or bake…"

"Why would you get nervous?" Steve asks pulling out some of the containers yelling for Chin and Danny to come help him unload the trunk.

"I – I don't interact well socially and therefore, my social skills are sorely lacking and as such I get nervous, so I cook to alleviate my nervousness. It calms me down, so to speak, but then I start realizing why I'm cooking and I get more nervous … it turns into a vicious cycle really," she exclaims ringing her hands as they start opening the containers from where they place them and start sampling.

"Anytime you're nervous, feel free to drop off whatever the result is, this is awesome," Danny mumbles around a mouthful of cold pasta primavera. Chin and Kono nod in unison as they sample some of the baked goods.

"Daddy, that's rude," Gracie chastises her father for taking with his mouth full.

Later as the day goes on, Molly walks Gracie by the shoreline and explains various species found along the way. Gracie runs up to her father. "Molly found me a rare piece of sea glass and she told me how it's made in the sea. Oh and see this calipsosteroidy-thing, what was this again Molly?"

Molly smiles warmly and giggles as she replies, "Clypeasteroida."

"Looks like a sand dollar to me," Danny mutters offhandedly turning it back and forth in his hand.

Molly pushes her glasses back in place again and stares at her feet, "Yes, an echinoid is a sand dollar," she answers softly with a light blush. Steve shoves the back of Danny's head as he passes behind him.

Later when everyone starts leaving and Molly begins to gather up her things. Steve helps her and asks, "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Oh yes I had a wonderful time. Gracie is an adorably precocious child with an excellent mind. Daniel should be very proud. I'm most excited because I seem to have found an uncharted hatching beach over in the cove off of your property," she beams excitedly.

"Really? Well you can come by anytime if you need to research or whatever," he offers closing her trunk and walking her to the driver's side door.

"Steven? May I ask you something?" Molly asks quietly.

The way she says his name like that makes his stomach flip flop like when he was a teenager, "Yeah," he mumbles.

"Why are you being so nice to me? I don't image this is normal police or procedural protocol or am I wrong?" she asks uncertainly biting her lip.

He shuffles slightly, "I don't know … and uh, no it's not really. Is it a problem?" he asks nervously feeling apprehensive like he did in high school being faced with a whole new life after his father shipped him and his sister to the mainland. He was a thirty-four-year-old Navy SEAL who ran black ops all over the world. He commanded the elite 5-0 squad for the state of Hawaii answering only to the governor herself. Hell, he could kill a man ten different ways with a spoon. So what was it about this highly intelligent, nervous, bumbling tiny brunette that made him feel all of his old insecurities come back to light again after all these years?

"No, no, it is not a problem per se. I was only curious. I spoke too boldly again didn't I?" she asks biting her lip.

"Nah," Steve tells her, "I kinda like it. It's a refreshing change from Danny's bitching."

~*~

Steve is awoken by a flash of light. It was off in the distance, farther up the beach from his house, at about two in the morning several days later. He sits bolt upright and grabs his gun from his nightstand, watching out into the darkness, seeing the flash at several intervals over the next few minutes. He makes his way through the dunes and sea grass. He approaches the source of the flashing light, "5-0. Identify yourself." A bright flash of a flashlight shines in his face stunning him.

"Commander I really do not understand your penchant for drawing firearms on me without cause," he hears from the other side of the blaring flashlight.

"Molly?" he bellows incredulously lowering his gun and holding up his hand to block the bright light from his eyes. "What the hell are you doing out here at two in the morning!"

"Well you did say I could come by anytime if I wanted to document the site for researching purposes," she reminds him.

"Well yeah, but it's the middle of the night!" he reasons.

"Well … that's when they reproduce," Molly explains uncertainly. "The female will lay her eggs, which is what's happening tonight. I need to document their gestation and then the hatchlings will emerge and make their journey back to the ocean. It's all quite fascinating," she babbles turning back to flash her light on the beachfront, where Steve can see a couple of sea turtles digging their nests. Molly would shine her light and make notations in her notebook, shut off the light and then go back to watching their activities.

Steve blinks at her and then stomps off muttering to himself. Molly is too focused on her work to notice. A half hour later a blanket is wrapped around Molly's shoulders and Steve hands her a thermos and a cup, "Coffee," he mutters before he sits next to her and pours them both a cup.

Steve wakes with the early morning sunrise and a reddish brown tendril tickling his nose awake with the morning breeze. He is stretched out where they had been sitting with said brunette half laying across him in a warm blanketed lump. The lump mumbles when he moves to sit up. He moves her around, lifts her up, and starts the walk back to his house.

When they have almost reached Steve's house, she wakes with a start and looks around. Her glasses are crooked and she looks dazed with half her hair having worked itself out of her braid. "My research," she panics.

"You're still clutching it to your chest," Steve tells her readjusting his hold as he indicates to the three-ring binder that she currently has in a death grip.

Molly yawns in response. "I can walk," she mutters in a disgruntled, cranky tone.

"I know," he replies walking up to his house from the beach and navigates them up to his bedroom. He deposits her in front of his bathroom. "Take a shower and I'll leave something for you to change into," he tells her pushing her glasses back up her nose with his index finger.

When he comes back, she is curled up in a lump under the covers sound asleep wearing his old Annapolis T-Shirt that is four times too big for her. He showers and slides in next to her. The lump shimmies back and into the curve of his body. Steve smirks, fingering a damp, wavy tendril before he falls promptly to sleep.

~*~

Molly crinkles and crushes the notice in her hand as she stomps down the marble stairs from the courthouse. _Stupid landlord!_ Well, she couldn't really blame him. He probably made a lot of money on the sale of the property to the developers now that the zoning variances had been lifted on his property. The only problem was where is she going to live? She has a week to find something and it had taken her forever to find that.

She mumbles to herself as she crosses the street. A passerby yells to her and she looks up in time to see the car veering towards her. She also sees the cold, dark eyes of the driver just before several tons of molded steel crash into her.

The car careens and skids down the street fleeing the scene. Molly's limp unconscious body lay thrown in the street. People that view the accident pull out their phones and call for an ambulance.

Chin is questioning a witness at the hospital when Molly is brought into the emergency room. He looks quick and does a double take, "Molly?"

"You know this woman detective?" one of the nurses stops and asks as the gurney rushes past. Molly is covered in cuts and dirt and her outfit is badly ripped and smudged with dirt.

"Yes, well, she's a friend of Commander McGarrett's," he replies following them asking, "What happened?"

"Hit and run in front of the court house. Does she have anyone we can contact?" the nurse asks.

"I, I don't know. I – let me check with the Commander and I'll get back to you," he says pulling out his cell phone.

Steve storms into the ER with Danny following hot on his heels, "Steve … Steven, will you wait a minute?"

"Where is she?" he booms at the receptionist and the nurse at the desk causing the young nurse to squeak, drop her charts and run off.

"Now, Steven, we've talked about this. Don't hurt the nice hospital personnel, they're here to help Molly get better, okay? Now, why don't we …"

"Shut it, Danno," he snaps over his shoulder. "There was a hit and run. A woman was brought in unconscious. Her name is Molly O'Shaughnessay. My Detective, Chin, called me. I'm Lieutenant Commander McGarrett and this is Detective Williams. We're with 5-0. Where's the girl?"

The older, head nurse responds tersely, "Family only."

Steve slaps the nearest rack of chart and they fly across the reception area as he spins around in frustration before he sees the entrance to the patient holding area. "Will you … shit, I'm sorry," Danny apologizes to the nurse and chases after Steve, "Steven, man, come on, will you just …" he tries to reason with Steve as he storms off towards the holding area looking for Molly. Steve ignores the nurse's threats or yells for security. He pushes through the hospital doors to the back when he hears her.

"What do you mean I'm going to be in here for a week? But, I can't. I have to move within the week because of that stupid summons. Oh and my research!" she exclaims.

"Molly?" Steve says as he pulls back the curtain revealing a scraped, babbling Molly. She looked frazzled and distraught but mostly fine. His relief was almost instantaneous. Outside, he was cold and meticulous. Inside, his stomach had dropped out of existence when he first got the call from Chin. Inside, he was a panicking mess. He would be damned if anyone knew that fact though. Emotional displays offer a weakness; weaknesses can be exploited ... but she just looks so small sitting there hooked up to IVs and monitors.

"Steven!" she cries vaguely looking in his direction, "Tell them! Tell them, they have to let me out of here. I'll miss my hatchlings," she worries, "all of those weeks will have been wasted. Tell them," she pleads with him. Her wide dark eyes panicked with unshed tears.

He gently clasps her hand and notices the bandages, cuts and scrapes, "Are you alright?"

"No! No I most certainly am not alright. They won't let me go home. My head hurts, I feel like Main Street is imbedded into my skin, I twisted my knee and my glasses broke. Stupid landlord! It's all his fault. I can't see anything. You all look like giant talking blobs. I have to find somewhere to live by the end of the week because the landlord sold the building, and we're all being evicted. I clearly thought I would have sufficient time to find alternate living arrangements. This is just horrible. And that horrible, evil man ran me over, RAN ME OVER, STEVEN!" she babbles frantically before she grabs her head and winces as tears roll down her flushed dirty cheeks.

The nurse administers a syringe into her IV. "What is that?" Molly demands. "Oh no you don't! Don't you try and drug me. I don't have time for …." she phases out with a heavy sigh staring with a glazed look out straight ahead.

The nurse pats her arm and looks up at the concern on the commander's face, "She needs to calm down. We're worried about her concussion," she explains.

He nods understanding, "Molly?"

"Hmmm?" she asks looking over dreamily. "Oh, hello Steven. You have the most beautiful eyes," she sighs and then giggles throatily turning to the nurse. "He's blushing again. Isn't he adorable when he blushes?" she murmurs. "He has the cutest dimple," she waves her hand over towards the right side of his face, "when he smiles." She whispers conspiratorially with the nurse, "You really need to see him after he goes for his swim in the ocean. Sin, the man is pure sin, with the water and the tattoos," she sighs deeply again turning towards Steve. "God you smell good," she mumbles thickly, "like sandalwood and the ocean and … coconuts?" her brow crinkles in concentration then she giggles, "How Hawaiian of you." She sits up weakly, "Isaac! Whatta 'm I gonna do bout Isaac, Steven?"

"I'll take care of him. I'll take care of everything," he tells her brushing her bangs back and cups her bruised cheek gently with his hand as he watches her.

"M'kay," she mumbles softly as she nuzzles his palm before she passes out trusting Steve to take care of everything.

When Molly wakes much later, it is dark outside. Her mouth is dry and parched. Someone hands her a small glass of water. She looks up to see an oriental looking gentleman. With a small smile, he introduces himself, "My name is Wo Fat." Molly eyes him suspiciously having heard Steve talk about him none too favorably in the past. "Please send my regards to Lieutenant Commander McGarrett," he says as he turns and leaves the room quietly flanked by two bodyguards.

~*~

It all seems to happen in slow motion and yet faster than a blink.

Danny and Steve are arguing outside the hospital about whether they should take Molly home in Steve's truck or Danny's Camaro. Molly looks out across the street and sees Wo Fat standing under the shade of a tree next to a limo. A black SUV is driving down the road and the window rolls down. Molly sees the same cold deadly eyes of the man who drove the car that ran into her earlier in the previous week. She spins back to see Wo Fat nod in acknowledgement and turn back to get into his vehicle as the shots fire from the SUV.

The impact propels Molly back into the rear of the truck as she slides down. She looks down in shock to see bright, red blood seeping through the thin material of her sundress. Steve and Danny ducked and drew their weapons at the initial gunfire. "Molly!" Steve yells as he and Danny frantically scramble to her aide. Steve pales and applies pressure to the wound causing her to wince.

"Go" she whimpers at him pushing his shoulder. "It was Wo Fat. He's trying to distract you," she explains. "I'm fine," she assures him pushing weakly at his side.

Steve looks desperately at Danny who nods in understanding, "I got her. Go!" he waves him off and Steve takes off running to the Camaro. "Don't scratch my car Steven," he yells after Steve putting pressure back on Molly's wounds. "And, I'll kill you if you die!"

The doctors and nurses came running at the first sounds of the conflict and rush Molly into the emergency room. The doctor comes to assess the damage. "Okay, let's see what we have," he mutters.

"Based on the calculated velocity of speed and at the angle of trajectory of the impact with basic female anatomic alignment, I believe the bullet is lodge at the top of the large intestine below the stomach. I'm just concerned about the proximity to the spleen," Molly babbles.

Danny puts his hand on her shoulder to silence her, "Molly, it's okay," he tells her softly.

"M'kay … was trying to distract myself with mathematical calculations. Danny?" he hums in response, "this really hurts," she whimpers.

Molly wakes sometime later after surgery to find Wo Fat sitting patiently at her bedside again flanked by two bodyguards. "We really must stop meeting like this Mr. Fat," Molly mumbles bitterly.

He smirks in response, "Yes, I do believe the commander might become jealous." Molly looks nervously around the room, "The commander is being detained. Don't worry; he is safe. I'm afraid you must come with me now," Molly stares at him and he smoothly replies, "to not comply would be detrimental for the commander and his wellbeing, I'm afraid."

Steve arrives just after Wo Fat and his men take Molly from the building. He finds the posted guard slumped dead in his seat next to her door.

He and Danny pour over the surveillance tapes until they see Wo Fat escorting a terrified Molly out the front door.

~*~

Molly sees movement out of the corner of her eye from where she is sitting in the main area of Wo Fat's yacht. The 5-0 team is quietly circling the deck. She is still dressed in her hospital gown, but thankfully, Wo Fat has made sure her sutures have been taken care of and she is wrapped in a warm blanket for the time being. She stares at the back of Wo Fat's head while is speaking rapidly in Chinese over the phone. She waits until he finishes and turns to her hanging up the phone. "You are not a very nice person Mr. Fat," she accuses from where she is seated, hands bound in her lap. He turns and smugly watches her "You," she continues accusingly hoping to distract his attention, "had me run over with a car. You had me shot, and now you kidnapped me."

He smirks at her in his condescending fashion, "It was an end to a means Ms. O'shaugnessy."

"I mean I knew I was some sort of pawn you were toying with in this game you seem to be playing with Steven, but what else is left? Are you going to kill me?" she snaps. Wo Fat maneuvers himself so he leans over her with his hands pressed against the back of the couch pinning her. "How is your father doing Ms. O'shaugnessy?" he asks pompously.

"My, my father?" Molly blinks in confusion.

"Please send him my regards. I look forward to working with him again in the near future," he smiles smugly. Molly's face turns dark as the 5-0 team storm the room. Wo Fat is distracted and reaches to grab her. Molly jerks her bound, fisted hands up for all she is worth into Wo Fat's groin which is easily exposed with his position. Wo Fat's stunned gaping face greets her with a whimpered gasp before he crumples.

She frowns at Steve, "I want to go home now, Steven."

~*~

The sun is warm and inviting and the breeze is heavenly on her face when she walks out of the hospital yet again. She is determined and resolute as she exits the taxi in front of the HPD headquarters. She has to tell him as she makes her way towards the 5-0 offices. She does not really see anyone as she makes her way tentatively towards the command center. On the screen, she sees a picture of her father and his arrest records. She looks down on the computer conference table and sees pictures of her, bank statements, transcripts, articles she had published, her father's indiscretions, her father's mother and her known associates and affiliates … page after page of them. There were pictures and information on her long-dead mother and grandparents. On and on the information went. The door opens and Steve and Danny walk in bickering before Steve sees her and uncertainly calls out her name.

She looks up at Steve in shock and breathes, "You're, you're investigating me?" a tear rolls down her cheek.

"Wo Fat mentioned your father … I had to, I had to know …" he tries to explain awkwardly.

Her faces darkens as she snaps, "You only had to ask Steven," she angrily marches around him. He reaches out and he grabs her arm.

"Then I'm askin'," he growls menacingly.

Molly yanks her arm out of his grip, "Too late," she hisses acidly and storms out of the command center without a look back.

Danny is the one to find her finally. She was curled with her knees against her chest on a large rock face overlooking the ocean near her old apartment. She was just staring out at the horizon. He holds out his hand to her, "Come on," he waves her down. She grabs his outstretched hand and lets him help her down. They walk to his car, he lets her in before getting in on his side, and they drive off.

Molly just stares out the window for most of the way before she starts talking. "My mother left him soon after she found out she was pregnant with me. When they married, she didn't know anything about who or what he was. His mother ran the organization then; I think you guys call her Ma Kelly?" She looks over to him and then she continues, "My mom died soon after I was born," she explains fiddling with a ribbon on her blouse. "My grandparents raised me until I was seventeen when they died in a plane crash. I went off to school after that. That's when I first met him. I don't have anything to do with him," she clarifies.

"What about the money?" Danny asks.

"He's had a trust fund established since he found out about me. He has the other money deposited in my checking account every month. The larger account is where I deposit it after I have I pulled it back out. I swear Danny; I've only seen him twice. He keeps trying to get into my life and I won't let him. I know he's my dad and all, but …?" she pleads.

"And school?" Danny pushes.

"That is the only thing I will let him pay for. I live off of my stipends and scholarship monies. I'm making great strides in my research. At the very least, I can use his dirty money for some good," she explains. She looks around to where they are, "Why are we at Steven's house?"

"This is where he has your stuff and your car. He'll be home later. He's working late, might go try to kill something later I think. You really rattled him earlier," Danny informed her dropping a set of keys in her hand. Molly lets herself out of the Camaro and walks up to the house, letting herself in. She looks around. His house looks the same, neat and orderly, as always. The door to the guest room is open ajar down the hallway off to the back. She pushes it open and looks in.

Inside, all of her research charts, graphs, books, diagrams etc have been arranged on the walls. There is a fresh coat of paint and a new desk with her laptop on it. She notices some of her old supplies and a bunch of new supplies that Steve must have picked up. The bed is freshly made with new linens. Isaac jumps up on her bed and nudges her to pet him.

Her research binder is lying on top of her laptop with a DVD on top of that. She pulls off the DVD and opens the binder. Someone had very meticulously cataloged more data about the hatchlings from where she left off. She pulls out the chair to the desk and opens her laptop, boots it and puts in the DVD. On it, she can see the first stirrings of the hatchlings emerging. In the background, she can hear Steve and several other members of his team talking and commenting. They are laughing and enjoying themselves. Beside the laptop is a small porcelain sea turtle.

Molly looks around at all that Steve had done to make a place for her in his home. She frantically grabs the turtle and stumbles around looking for her keys again before she gets into her car and speeds off back to HPD headquarters.

~*~

Molly's car screeches to a halt and tries to get out of it, nearly being strangled by her seatbelt in the process. She patiently tries to wait for the elevator, throws her hands up in exasperation, and starts to run to the stairs when it dings its arrival. She runs back around and dives into the awaiting car, dodging the people that were exiting. She nervously smiles at them while she waits for the doors to close anxiously pushing the door close button.

When Molly reaches the floor for the 5-0 department, she stumbles around looking for Steve. She sees him glaring angrily at paperwork at his desk, and she tries to slam through the door to his office, or as effectively as she can wrestle those large imposing glass doors. He looks up when she finally makes it in and tersely demands, "What!"

"I-I'm sorry? … for the way I acted before. It was selfish of me. You were only trying to find out information on your family's killer. I should not have been so childish," she babbles quickly.

Steve's jaw tightens and he returns to his paperwork. He stabs heavily with the pencil he is scrawling across a piece of paper, "Is there anything else?" he asks tightly

Molly gasps softly, "I … no," she replies in defeated watery-sounding voice. She fights with the door again and finally opens it. She stops, "Actually, yes. There is one more thing …," she says looking out into the hallway.

"What," he grits angrily through his teeth.

"I'm in love with you," she replies quietly before stiffly walking out the door. The only sound is the desolate chime of the elevator as it echos out through the empty hallways following with its silent closing marking Molly's retreat.

Steve grips his pencil so tightly it breaks in two, "Fuck," he yells to no one and angrily sweeps his arm across his desk; papers, debris, and pens fly haphazardly about.

Danny pushes through the closed doors of Steve's office, "You see this is the part where you chase after her and make with the happily every after …"

"Danny," Steve growls a warning.

"I'm still talking here!" Danny yells over Steve's interruption.

Steve sulks back in his chair and mumbles, "She's better off without me …"

"I'm sorry what was that, now? Steven, she's the only thing keeping you grounded. You are one bat-shit, insane ninja in the making. I've known you for two years, man. You've never looked at anyone like you look at her." Steve looks desperately at Danny as if he had the answers. Danny crosses his arms and tilts his head with his eyebrows raised. Steve pushes off of his seat and runs towards the stairwell.

Molly's hands are shaking as she fights with her keys to find the one to open her car door. Her eyes water and tears fall that she angrily fists away. A large hand covers hers and a large warm body engulfs her from behind. "Don't go," he pants softly in her ear having run the entire way.

Molly's back stiffens but she does not pull away from Steve. "You – you video taped the hatchlings while I was in the hospital?" she whispers anxiously. He nods yes while burying his nose in the nape of her neck breathing in her warm light floral scent as wisps of hair tickle him that have loosened from her braid. "And my research log? That was your friend … the coroner?"

Again, he nods. "Just don't go. They all go," he mumbles. "I don't want you to, please?" he whispers into her neck.

She turns her head and mumbles into his temple, "I thought it was a crush and it would go away. I thought, I thought it was because you were so nice to me, but … then when Wo Fat had me," he squeezes her tighter and then turns her to look at him. She sniffles, wipes the drying tears from her cheeks, "You don't have to say anything back." He blushes, and looks sheepishly at her. "You made a place for me in your home," she says shyly, "and," she reaches in her pocket, "you gave me a sea turtle," she smiles sweetly.

"Ko'u li'ili'i kai Honu[[kew1]]($)," he smiles making her giggle. He runs his fingers through her dark hair as he leans in.

"Will you kiss her already?" Danny yells from the open window of his office.

"If you'd stop interrupting me," Steve yells back over his shoulder turning back smiling as he presses his lips to hers.

~*~

  


* * *

[  
[kew1]  
]($-0)  
My little sea turtle … at least that’s what I hope it says.

**Author's Note:**

> I also like to give a short description about my OFCs so you guys have an idea of what I'm seeing in my head while I'm writing (God help you all!).
> 
> Molly O'shaugnessy is a 24-year-old biophysicist working on her doctorate in marine biology. She has moved to Hawaii from Chicago to research for her degree. She has long, reddish brown wavy hair with dark eyes, is small in stature, 4'11".


End file.
